In its fight against diabetes and while trying to make Singaporeans healthy, Health Promotion Board (HPB) has expanded its two popular programmes including Healthier Dining Programme (HDP) and Healthier Ingredient Development Scheme (HIDS).
Under the HDP, food outlets offer consumer healthier options, such as lower-calorie meals, food prepared with healthier ingredients and reduced sugar beverages.
The programme has evoked encouraging response among the public as the number of healthier meals sold has increased more than threefold from 7.5 million in 2014 to 26 million as of March this year.
In addition to this, more than 1,600 food and beverage outlets including restaurants, cafes, food kiosks, caterers and hawker centres have come on board the HDP as of March.
Under the HIDS programme, food manufacturers are being helped to expand their range of healthier ingredients, such as the use of brown rice or whole grains in rice and noodles, as well as healthier sugars and cooking oil. The purpose of the programme is to improve the diet quality of Singaporeans when eating out.
The HIDS covers both oil and grain staples, mainly rice and noodles. The scheme is to encourage food manufacturers to innovate and develop a wider variety of healthier ingredients suited to local taste, as well as support the industry in promoting the uptake of healthier ingredients in Singapore’s food service.
HPB hopes to reach out to 20 to 30 ingredient suppliers by 2020. The HPB will continue to offer free community exercise and sports programmes at public spaces, such as Sundays@the Park and and Sunrise in the City.
Enhanced Screen for Life subsidies will be launched from September 1, where all eligible Singaporeans can go for recommended screening, such as for diabetes, and follow-up at Community Health Assist Scheme GP clinics.